Yama Reborn-Chapter 516 - 513: [Yun Yin’s Obsession]

Chapter 513: Yun Yin’s Obsession

Chen Nuo was caught in a dilemma. If he ignored Seed’s request for help, Seed would just find a place and go into hibernation alone. How long that hibernation might take was unknown. But the last time Seed hibernated, it was still the era of the damn Maya pyramids in that tropical rainforest! He slept right up till last year!

Good grief, Chen Nuo could imagine that once Seed entered hibernation, he would be left alone on this dangerous Earth. The Octopus Monster and The Fourth Seed would definitely celebrate with gongs and drums, then head straight for Jinling to kill him first! Without its Chosen One, Seed’s strength would be diminished! And the Seed before him clearly wouldn’t let that happen either. Although this guy now seemed to be asking for help nicely... if Chen Nuo firmly refused, this guy would definitely capture him!

"So I have no room to refuse, do I?" Chen Nuo said with a wry smile. "Even if I refuse, you would never leave me behind for those Seeds to kill me... That would be tantamount to weakening your own strength."

"Of course not," Seed said after a moment’s thought. "But unless it’s a last resort, I still don’t want to force you."

Seed’s tone became more sincere. "I need your full cooperation, not a reluctant you harboring resentment. It could lead to unexpected dangers during the process."

Just as Chen Nuo was frowning and pondering, Seed sighed. "Actually, you don’t have to be so conflicted. While finding Zero now might be difficult, finding your friend who has undergone Body Seizing doesn’t seem so difficult for me."

Chen Nuo’s eyes lit up!

"If it were a few days ago, even if you asked me for help, I would have had no way to find a stranger on this planet. It’s difficult, alright? Even if I covered the whole globe with my Spiritual Sensing Ability, a human strong enough to match a Controller who deliberately concealed their spiritual power would be impossible for me to find. By the way, I’ve had a few escapees lately, and I still can’t catch those guys and bring them back. However..."

Seed’s tone shifted. "What was impossible before is now possible. It just so happens that your lost friend, half of her soul was the Chosen One of that tree. And it just so happens, I absorbed half of the tree’s Life Force a few days ago."

Seed said with a smug look.

Chen Nuo exhaled. "So..."

"Before I finish digesting the tree’s Life Force, while these forces are stored by me, I can make limited use of them. For instance, I can sense the presence of its Chosen Ones through the tree’s Life Force. Just like now, even without using spiritual power to cover my surroundings, I can clearly feel that your wife, Lu Xixi, is right next door, not far from us. She’s standing behind the wall, constantly keeping an eye on what’s happening here. And for another example... I can sense that there’s a life form that can resonate with the tree’s Life Force about two hundred-plus kilometers away! I think that should be the person you’re looking for, right?"

Chen Nuo’s eyes widened!

After thinking carefully, Chen Nuo asked, "Are you sure you can help me find her?"

"Certain."

"So, what do you need me to do for you... Wait! You’re not asking me to join you in hibernation, are you?! Shit! How long did you hibernate last time, a few hundred years or a thousand? I’m not doing it!"

Bullshit! I have a wife and daughter at home, plus my mother and sister. Join you in hibernating for hundreds of years? Is this hibernation or Cultivation? Waking up just to find family and loved ones turned to dust!

Seed gave a bitter smile. "Am I really that insensitive in your eyes? You’ve said I’m becoming more and more human. If that were the case, I know you definitely wouldn’t agree, and I wouldn’t even bother with small talk upfront; I’d just knock you out and take you away."

"So how long will it take exactly?" Chen Nuo frowned.

"Just a few hundred..."

Chen Nuo was already preparing to shake his head! A few hundred years? I’d rather fight you to the death!

"...days."

Huh?!

Chen Nuo was stunned, then saw Seed looking at him with a strange smile.

"...A few hundred days?" Chen Nuo asked seriously. "You’re talking about days, not years? Not some other unit of time?"

"Just a few hundred days," Seed answered earnestly. "It could even be quicker if it goes smoothly."

"Wait a minute, hold on!" Chen Nuo immediately pressed. "Nine hundred and ninety-nine days is ’a few hundred days’! One hundred and one days is also ’a few hundred days’! That’s a big difference! One is over two years, the other just three months."

Seed thought seriously for a moment. "I can’t give an exact figure, but I’ll do my best. If you’re not too foolish, this time can definitely be kept within five hundred days."

So, about a year and a half?

After pondering seriously for a moment, Chen Nuo realized he had no other choice. Seed was already being quite polite in negotiating with him. Otherwise, if it really came to a fight... even with Lu Xixi, the two of them would have difficulty dealing with the tree, let alone Seed.

Chen Nuo sighed. "Give me an hour to say goodbye to my family."

Seed smiled. "I’ll give you one night. I’ll come for you tomorrow morning. We’ll go find your friend first and solve your problem."

"...Um, can I bring my wife and child with me?" Chen Nuo shamelessly made a further request.

"So you think this is a picnic?" Seed rolled his eyes—it had to be said, when the chubby Seed rolled his eyes, it was actually quite cute. "Don’t push your luck. You have one night."

「·」

After Seed left, Lu Xixi immediately returned home.

In fact, explaining and saying goodbye to Lu Xixi wasn’t very hard. She understood that Seed seeking out Chen Nuo was bound to be for something important, and that Chen Nuo wasn’t really in control of his own circumstances. Moreover, for someone with a Controller’s lifespan, a year and a half didn’t seem excessive. Lu Xixi didn’t propose to go with Chen Nuo. After all, she was a mother now, with a daughter at home. She couldn’t possibly take her daughter on the road with them, could she? Who knew if there would be dangers on this journey? Bringing a frail infant along would be too worrying.

On the other hand, it was harder for Ou Xiuhua to accept that her son, Chen Nuo, was leaving for a year and a half. Naturally, Chen Nuo came up with an excuse, saying only that his business had expanded overseas and he needed to go abroad. The excuse was actually quite flimsy. Whether Ou Xiuhua believed him or not, probably only she knew in her heart. Anyway, Ou Xiuhua also understood that her son, along with her daughter-in-law, were no longer ordinary people. After Chen Nuo repeatedly assured her that there would be no danger on his trip, Ou Xiuhua could only silently accept it.

"After the house is renovated, you should move. Xiao Yezi should study hard at school. Oh, right, and Mom, that uncle you know... what was his name? Right, right, Hou Changwei. I’ve met him since, and I think he’s a pretty good person. Mom, you’re not getting any younger. If you can take a step forward, then do it. If anything comes up at home that’s hard to handle, call Brother Lei. I’ll explain everything to him..."

While Chen Nuo rambled on, giving Ou Xiuhua these instructions, she remained silent. It wasn’t until Chen Nuo had finished speaking and left her room that Ou Xiuhua began to wipe her tears alone. Chen Nuo knew, but there was nothing he could do at such a time; he just had to harden his heart.

Fortunately, this departure wasn’t a disappearance; he had explained things, so although his family felt sad and reluctant, it was much better than previous situations where he was neither seen alive nor found dead, his whereabouts completely unknown.

During the night, Chen Nuo called Brother Lei, Lin Sheng, and the others, telling them he was going on a long trip for about a year and a half, and entrusted family matters to them. As for those few girls... after some thought, Chen Nuo called them too, giving instructions to each one. The less said about the ensuing tears and sobbing, the better.

"Come over to the house to see Mom when you have time; after all, you’re all sworn sisters."

Chen Nuo shamelessly finished his last sentence and hung up the phone.

That night, Chen Nuo quietly spent the evening holding his daughter and Lu Xixi.

As dawn broke, Chen Nuo kissed his daughter, bid farewell to the Star Sky Empress, and went downstairs alone.

A change of clothes and other necessities were already packed in a suitcase. Though Chen Nuo figured he most likely wouldn’t need these things. But since Ou Xiuhua had spent the whole night preparing, it wouldn’t be right not to take them.

His mother certainly didn’t believe Chen Nuo’s story. Going abroad for some business? Who would leave in such a hurry? And besides, from the sound of it, he’d probably be out of contact for the entire year and a half? That completely defied logic. Going abroad for business? Going for Cultivation would be more like it!

「·」

As soon as he stepped out of his home and reached the gate of the residential complex, Chen Nuo saw Seed standing there. The guy looked quite leisurely, holding a red bean bun in one hand, his mouth smeared with red bean filling. In his other hand, he carried a plastic bag full of steaming buns.

"Want a bite? They’re very sweet."

"..." Chen Nuo stared at Seed. "You’ll get diabetes sooner or later."

"Then I’ll just switch bodies," Seed said with a wave of his hand.

"Where did you get the money for the buns?" Chen Nuo frowned. "You didn’t come out with money, did you?"

"Oh, at your house yesterday, I saw a few dozen yuan on the living room cabinet, so I just took it."

"..."

Alright, can’t beat him, have to endure it.

Chen Nuo fiercely grabbed three buns and stuffed them into his mouth. By then, he and Seed had already walked several hundred meters down the street.

"Where are we going now?"

"Hmm, to find your missing friend." Seed raised his hand and pointed. "In this direction, about two hundred-plus kilometers. Shall we fly? Or make a spatial jump?"

Chen Nuo glanced at Seed. "Are you in a hurry?"

"Not really. A few days earlier or later is fine," Seed said, shaking his head. "Since you’ve agreed to come with me, I’m not in a rush."

Chen Nuo thought for a moment. "Let’s get out of the city first and find a deserted place. If the two of us just took off flying from here in broad daylight, I’m afraid tomorrow’s news would explode."

「·」

Wu Daodao finally managed to enter a meditative state and circulate his Inner Breath. He felt his talent was indeed lacking; just this simple step had cost him numerous lashes and several missed meals over the past few days before he finally managed it.

He had only been in this tranquil state for less than two hours when his nose twitched twice, and he abruptly opened his eyes. As soon as he did, he saw that terrifying woman sitting on a stone stool nearby, holding a food box and eating with chopsticks.

"My wife personally made this braised lamb!" she declared.

Wu Daodao swallowed hard.

The next second, Wu Daodao screamed as a whip materialized out of thin air and lashed him, sending him tumbling from the stone stool to the ground.

"How can you still be so restless in meditation!" Yun Yin snapped.

"It’s not my fault! The lamb smells too good!" Wu Daodao cried out, clutching his head. "I haven’t had a full meal in days! It’s a miracle I can even meditate on an empty stomach, and here you are, eating something so fragrant right next to me!"

"Hmph! Last time you said you couldn’t meditate because you were hungry, so I let you eat your fill once! And what happened? You ate, started meditating, and fell asleep almost immediately!" Yun Yin sneered. "I said no eating until you’ve completed four hours of meditation. When have my words ever not counted?"

"Meditate, meditate! I’ll meditate right now!" Wu Daodao sighed helplessly. Cursing under his breath, he climbed back onto the stone stool, pulled a slip of paper from his pocket, and plugged both his nostrils with it.

Yun Yin ignored his bizarre antics—as long as he could meditate, she didn’t care if he plugged his nose or even sealed his mouth shut.

But Yun Yin wasn’t always so harshly stringent. About half an hour later, when Wu Daodao re-entered meditation, Yun Yin tossed the food box aside and watched him with narrowed eyes.

At this moment, every pathway of Wu Daodao’s Inner Breath circulating within his body was crystal clear to Yun Yin’s senses. Whenever his Inner Breath encountered stagnation, Yun Yin would casually flick her finger, sending out a strand of Telekinesis. It would strike the blocked area in Wu Daodao’s body, instantly allowing the obstructed Inner Breath to break through the barrier and flow smoothly onward.

This method of cultivating Inner Breath was practically a ’guaranteed pass,’ with a top expert from their own sect personally overseeing and meticulously assisting every step of the way. Even the middle-aged woman who occasionally visited couldn’t help but sigh with a mix of admiration and longing when she saw it. If only she’d had such a powerful expert helping her during her own cultivation, she might have saved ten years of effort!

The reason Yun Yin "tormented" Wu Daodao like this was actually very simple: How could the Sect Leader of my Qingyun Sect be such a waste?

Aside from this rigorous training for Wu Daodao, Yun Yin wasn’t idle. In the mostly collapsed room behind her, a table had been set up anew. On it was a thick pile of student exercise books, which the middle-aged woman had bought from the village school. Occasionally, after Wu Daodao entered meditation, Yun Yin would go into the room, sit at the table, pick up a pen, and, in these exercise books, write down the ancient secret techniques of Qingyun Sect’s heritage that she knew.

By the time Qingyun Sect’s heritage had reached the current generation, most of the many ancient secret arts and cultivation methods passed down within the sect had been lost. Now, with the return of this "old monster," Yun Yin, she had conveniently begun to replenish some of these lost techniques.

Each day, the middle-aged woman would come up the mountain and take the techniques Yun Yin had written down that day to be carefully collected and stored. Every time she reviewed them, the middle-aged woman couldn’t help but feel her heart surge with emotion! With these techniques restored and supplemented, the heritage of Qingyun Sect could finally be revived!

In just a few short days, Wu Daodao’s strength had greatly improved, though he himself was unaware of it, still just enduring one difficult day after another under Yun Yin’s oppressive presence.

At noon, under the blazing sun, Wu Daodao was still in the dilapidated courtyard, practicing a sword form. The movements were extremely slow, peculiar, and awkward.

This sword form, too, had been lost to the sect. Yun Yin had taught it to Wu Daodao a couple of days ago. It took a whole day of forced memorization, with her correcting his movements one by one, before he barely learned the complete set. During this, Wu Daodao was whipped many times and kicked seven or eight times.

Yet, he still didn’t understand—what was the damn point of learning this contorted, sluggish sword form? What era was this anyway? Did anyone still use melee weapons? A gun was all you needed to dominate. What was that saying? Beyond seven steps, the gun is fast! Within seven steps, the gun is both fast AND accurate! So why bother practicing the sword?

Moreover, from Wu Daodao’s perspective, even in melee combat, this sword form had absolutely no practical value! The movements were awkward and incredibly slow! It was worse than the health-preserving Tai Chi Sword practiced by the elderly in the park! Even looking at it from a combat perspective, it wasn’t just full of openings—it was riddled with a damn myriad of them!

But later, when the middle-aged woman came up to deliver food and saw Wu Daodao performing this sword form, she was so shocked she almost dropped the food basket in her hands! At that moment, Wu Daodao saw his wife staring at him with wide eyes, muttering under her breath, her gaze so intense it seemed to shine, as if she wanted to eat him alive!

Damn it, even when I occasionally fulfill my marital duties, I’ve never seen this old woman so excited and agitated!

However, Wu Daodao then saw the middle-aged woman go directly to Yun Yin, drop to her knees, and kowtow on the spot!

Wu Daodao later learned that this sword form wasn’t meant for fighting at all; it was for cultivation. When performing the sword form, one had to simultaneously circulate Inner Breath, using the body’s various postures to guide its flow. This sword form, meticulously refined over time, had been perfected by generations of Qingyun Sect masters. It was used to cultivate the circulation of Inner Breath, guiding it through each seemingly bizarre posture of the sword form—indeed, it was the ultimate method for cultivating Inner Breath within the Qingyun Sect! This technique had been lost for many years; even the middle-aged woman had only ever heard of it, never seen it.

Besides teaching Wu Daodao this sword form, Yun Yin also recorded it in an exercise book. The middle-aged woman, treating it like a priceless treasure, took it back and practiced it all night in the sect’s courtyard.

Thereafter, the middle-aged woman’s attitude towards Yun Yin became even more respectful and humble. The meals she sent up the mountain daily became increasingly elaborate, sparing no expense. She even proposed several times that she could stay on the mountain to cultivate alongside them, assuring Yun Yin she could endure any hardship, no matter how strict or tough.

Unfortunately, Yun Yin seemed to have no interest in instructing the middle-aged woman and casually dismissed her requests.

The middle-aged woman could only give her husband a fierce glare and say through gritted teeth, "You must study well and practice diligently! Don’t you dare forget a single word of what Senior has taught you! If you forget even half a word, you’ll have hell to pay when we get back!"

This afternoon, after the middle-aged woman had delivered the meal and left, Yun Yin finished her braised lamb, forced Wu Daodao back into meditation, then went into the room and began to write down a set of the sect’s cultivation techniques.

She had just written a dozen or so lines when her expression suddenly changed, and she looked up towards the outside.

In the ruined courtyard, Wu Daodao was sitting on the stone stool, meditating under the scorching sun. And at the courtyard gate, a figure was standing there—it was Chen Nuo!

Chen Nuo’s gaze first fell on Wu Daodao, deep in meditation. His second glance found Yun Yin, standing before a table in the mostly collapsed house that directly faced the courtyard gate.

With a faint, bitter smile, Chen Nuo slowly stepped into the yard.

「·」

With a flash, Yun Yin floated out from the room and landed before Chen Nuo, her expression dark. "Did someone from Qingyun Sect tell you I was here?"

Chen Nuo shook his head. "The people of Qingyun Sect are helping to conceal your presence. I found you on my own."

Yun Yin’s expression softened slightly. She truly had deep feelings for Qingyun Sect; otherwise, she wouldn’t be lingering here at this time, meticulously recording numerous secret techniques for the sect and painstakingly training this worthless Sect Leader. If someone from Qingyun Sect had betrayed her, Yun Yin felt she might have literally spat blood from anger.

"You don’t need to ask how I found you; I have my ways," Chen Nuo said, shaking his head. "As for you... you..."

Yun Yin smiled faintly. Her aura began to surge, and even Chen Nuo could feel her spiritual power bursting forth. She looked at him coldly. "Do you think, now that we’re not in Jinling City, I’ll just let you push me around?"

A thought struck Chen Nuo. "You... you’ve recovered your strength? The intensity of this aura is almost the same as when I encountered you in London."

Yun Yin shook her head. "If we were to fight now, it’s still uncertain who would prevail. If it were a life-or-death battle, I’m afraid it would be a repeat of London—we’d both end up severely wounded."

Chen Nuo shook his head. "Regardless, I can’t just ignore this... This body you’re in belongs to my friend."

"Oh? So self-righteous? Then return my physical body to me!" Yun Yin scoffed.

Chen Nuo was speechless.

Because... he was indeed in the wrong. It was just like the question Yun Yin had hurled at him back then: "So, I’m the one who deserved to die?"

Staring at Chen Nuo, and seeing he didn’t speak, Yun Yin suddenly let her imposing aura dissipate.

"I told you before, I need twenty days. Three have passed, so seventeen remain. Can you not even wait seventeen days?"

Yun Yin looked at Chen Nuo and said slowly, "I still have things I must do; I don’t want to fight you to the death here. Chen Nuo, in my entire life, I, Yun Yin, have never begged anyone. Right now, I ask only this of you: grant me seventeen days! After seventeen days, I will return Sun Keke to you. How about it?"

Chen Nuo was shocked!

A thought flickered in Chen Nuo’s mind; he seemed to realize something and stared at Yun Yin in surprise.

Seeing the change in Chen Nuo’s expression, Yun Yin knew he had guessed. She nodded, her tone remarkably calm as she said slowly, "At most, I have seventeen more days to live, and then I will die. This time, it will be a true death. Although my spiritual consciousness was injected into this body, it’s like water without a source; it’s slowly being consumed. Seventeen days is the lifespan I have left. When the time is up, my soul will scatter, and Sun Keke’s consciousness can reclaim this body. Then, I will return her to you, unharmed."

As she spoke, Yun Yin turned her head to look at the ruins of the old Qingyun Sect estate. "The only lingering obsession in my heart now is to do a little more for Qingyun Sect."

Hearing this, Chen Nuo was deeply shaken, his expression becoming extremely complex. The Yun Yin before him... on reflection, she was truly a pitiful person. For no good reason, she had been living her own life perfectly well in the 1980s when he showed up, mistook her for someone else, and they ended up in a massive fight. In the end, her physical body was taken, becoming the Lu Xixi of today. Did Yun Yin really deserve to die?

"If you’re still unwilling, then let’s fight to the death," Yun Yin said with a cold laugh. "Even if we both end up severely wounded, I will never submit! But I can tell you, Sun Keke’s consciousness is also in this body. Even at my very last moment, I will have the strength to suppress her! If you push me to desperation, I will obliterate her consciousness! When that time comes, my soul will scatter, and her spirit will be utterly destroyed too! I’ll just leave a corpse for you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Nuo took a deep breath and said gravely, "After seventeen days, will you truly return an unharmed Sun Keke to me?"

"Yes!"

"You... you really only have seventeen days left?"

"...Yes."

Suddenly, Chen Nuo’s heart softened. He said gently, "Do you... have any other unfulfilled wishes? I could actually help you with some things."

"..." Yun Yin gave Chen Nuo a cold look. "My wish lies here, within Qingyun Sect. In these remaining days, I only want to properly leave behind some heritage for Qingyun Sect. I was born in Qingyun Sect, and I will die in Qingyun Sect; that would be the fulfillment of my wish."

Chen Nuo took a deep breath and suddenly shouted, "Seed! Seventeen days! Can you wait?"

The surroundings were vast and empty, but no reply came.

Chen Nuo shouted again. Still, there was no response from Seed, so Chen Nuo knew this meant Seed agreed.

"Alright! I won’t leave either. I’ll wait here with you for seventeen days! After seventeen days, if your soul returns to the heavens, I will see you off."

「·」

Down in the village at the foot of the mountain, the chubby Seed strolled by the village entrance, hands in his pockets. As he looked at the village before him, his eyes fixated on a small shop at the entrance. On a stall out front sat a basket of homemade malt sugar.

Seed ambled over with a smile, picked up a piece of malt sugar, and sniffed it. The sweet aroma instantly brought a wide grin to his face. After asking the price and paying, Seed bit enthusiastically into the malt sugar and walked on into the village.

"Seventeen days, huh..." Seed mused. "I’ll have to find something fun to do during these seventeen days."

Suddenly, he noticed a side road. At its end stood a school. However, several large trucks loaded with construction materials, sand, and gravel were currently parked at the school entrance. Workers were coming and going.

At the gate, Seed spotted an acquaintance: a bald man, apparently discussing something with the construction crew, pointing and gesturing.

"Hmm..." Seed thought. "Something fun to do? Looks like an opportunity just presented itself."